Prosthesis



R. FISCHER April 23, 1957 PROSTHESIS Filed July 8, 1952 INVENTOR RUDOLF FISCHER ATTORNEY Elie The present invention relates to a prosthesis, more particularly to a prosthesis of the type comprising an anchoring means, such as a splint secured to the rest of the natural teeth, at least one movable saddle, and a three-part hinge joint arranged between the splint and the saddle. A detachable pin is, furthermore, provided for interconnecting the hinge parts.

The invention provides certain improvements in the attachment of the movable saddle to the splint.

According to the invention, the saddle has a metal insert provided with a hinge eye, and the hinge part secured to the splint has two eyes formed at the outer ends thereof, which are capable of embracing the hinge eye formed on the saddle.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following, specification and the accompanying drawing which illustrates by way of example certain preferred forms of embodiment of the invention. 7

Fig. 1 shows a horizontal section of the part of the prosthesis incorporating the hinge;

Figs. 2 and 3 show modifications of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 shows a vertical section through the part of a prosthesis provided with the hinge;

Fig. 5 shows the part according to Fig. 4 with the saddle in an inclined position.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the hinge shown in Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through a hinge of a different embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a further modification of a hinge shown in perspective.

In the form of embodiment according to Fig. 1, one hinge part b is connected directly to the splint a, e. g. by soldering, the splint being firmly seated on the rest of the natural teeth. The other hinge part is formed by a metal-insert d in the saddle (Figs. 4 and The hinge part could also be formed by the saddle proper. The two hinge parts b and d are pivotally connected to each other by the common pin The pivot pin 1 has at one end a double bend e (Fig. 8) which is embedded in the synthetic resin of the saddle or can be placed into a hole d1 in the saddle insert (1. The hinge part b permanently secured to splint a is divided by two notches into three hinge eyes 0, h, g. Corresponding hinge eyes of the hinge part d in the saddle engage in the two notches. The division of the hinge part b into the three hinge eyes 0, h, g is so arranged that at each end of the hinge part b there is a hinge eye c, g of the same, and thus the hinge eyes of the hinge part d are embraced by the outer hinge eyes 0, g of the part b.

From Figs. 4 and 5 the features and the functioning of the hinge, in particular according to Fig. 1, can be seen in two different positions. The splint a is connected to natural teeth m and carries the hinge part b to which the hinge part a of the saddle-insert is linked by the pin The reference characters It and 0 designate the toothless jaw and the saddle respectively, while p represents the artificial teeth. The hinge b, 1, d, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6, can itself be swivelled both downward Sims v atent 0 C. ICC

in the direction of the arrow P and upwards in the direction P1. Stops may however, be provided to define the possible amount of swivelling as desired. Thus for instance-as shown in Figs. 4 and S-the first artificial tooth .p may have a stop q' cooperating with a corresponding counter-stop r on the neighboring natural tooth m. Thereby a swivelling is only possible in the sense of the arrow P. Alternatively, the stops q and 1' may be arranged in the hinge itself, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Avariation of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 may be provided, in which the hinge part formed by a saddle insert d has an eye at each of the outer ends,

whereas the hinge part, which is connected firmly to the splint has a hinge eye which is accommodated between said eyes of insert d.

The embodiment according to Fig. 2 essentially corresponds to that of Fig. l, in particular as regards the pivot pin f. The differences consist first in that the hinge part b has only one single notch in the middle, into which only one hinge eye of the other hinge part (I engages. But in this embodiment, too the single hinge eye of the hinge part d is embraced by the two end hinge eyes c, g of the part b. Secondly, the pivot pin 7 has no double bend, but only a single one.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2, the

' pivot pin 1 and/or f, e partakes in the hinge movements in consequence of being embedded in the saddle, and this involves the advantage that the friction occurs in the outermost hinge eyes. It would also be possible to provide an embodiment of the detachable pin, in which the pin has at one end a screw-thread and at the other end a screw-head and is screwed into the hinge part firmly connected to the splint. In this embodiment the pin is seated firmly in the splint hinge part, whereby only the saddle part carries out the hinge movement.

The hinge member b, in the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2, is attached directly to splint a, i. e. as close to it as possible. But if required, especially for aesthetic reasons, the hinge part b may also be secured indirectly to splint a, i. e. through an intermediate piece 1 (Fig. 3). The hinge is then embedded, e. g. in the first artificial tooth k. In this case the pivot pin instead of being in form of a screw or pin with a bend, may consist of a straight pin without any bends. In order that the pivot pin may then, too, take part in the hinge movements, it is in that case (Fig. 3) anchored in the first artificial tooth k of the saddle, simply by a chamfering l of at least one of its ends. Most suitable for the purpose are two chamferings giving the pin the form of a knife-edge at the particular end. The pin is fixed with a filling of a self-setting synthetic resin; the knife-edge may be visible from outside, in order to know where material has to be removed when the pin has to be taken out later. Due to the bends e or the knife-edge l of the pin, the latter is carried along with the movement of the saddle, and thus the friction is transferred into the outermost hinge eyes, at least in the case in which the part with the outermost eyes is fixed to the splint.

What I claim is:

l. A prosthesis comprising at least one movable saddle and ananchoring splint, a three-part hinge joint arranged between said saddle and said splint, an insert on said saddle, said joint including a hinge part common with the saddle-insert and a hinge part secured to the splint, wherein the one hinge part secured to the splint has eyes formed at the outer end thereof and capable of embracing a hinge part formed on said saddle insert, and a detachable pivot pin interconnecting the two hinge parts, at least one of the two ends of the pivot pin having at least one single bend embedded in synthetic resin and being adapted to secure the pin.

2. A prosthesis comprising at least one movable saddle 3 L, and an anchoring splint, a three-part hinge joint arranged between said saddle and said splint, an insert on said saddle, said joint including a hinge part common with the saddle-insert and a hinge part secured to the splint, wherein the one hinge part secured to the splint has eyes formed at the outer end thereof and capable of embracing a hinge part formed on said saddle insert, and a detachable pivot pin interconnecting the two hinge parts, said saddle hinge part having :a hole therein, and said pivot pin having a doubly bent end which can be inserted in said hole so as to cause the pin to partake in the hinge movement.

3. A prosthesis comprising at least one movable saddle of synthetic resin and an anchoring splint, a three-part hinge joint arranged between said saddle and said splint, an insert in said saddle, said joint including a hinge part common with the saddle-insert and a hinge part secured to the splint, wherein the one hinge part secured to the splint has eyes formed at the outer end thereof and capable of embracing the hinge part formed on said saddle insert, artificial teeth carried by the saddle memher, and a detachable pivot pin interconnecting the two hinge parts and serving as connecting means between said hinge parts, said pivot pin having at least one single bend embedded in synthetic resin and being adapted to secure the pin.

4. A prosthesis as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pivot pin has at least one chamfered endl Skinner Apr. 14, 1942 Baca et al Sept. 30, 1952 

